Digital naming ceremony held for CMA CGM’s 23,000 TEU behemoth

A first-of-its-kind digital naming ceremony was held today for the 23,000 TEU CMA CGM Jacques Saade, the largest LNG-powered containership in the world.

The ceremony was attended by Hudong–Zhonghua Shipyard representatives in Shanghai, China, and CMA CGM’s management in Marseille, France.

Blessed by father Francis Fang, the vessel was then officially named by its Godmother, Tanya Saadé Zeenny, who wished the ship, the captain and its crew the best of luck on their future voyages with the traditional words “May God bless this ship and all who will sail on her”.

The French shipping giant has made the symbolic choice of naming its new flagship after its founder, Jacques Saadé, a visionary and entrepreneur.

“The CMA CGM Jacques Saadé embodies our commitment to the planet. This vessel has been enhanced with the latest technologies and is the result of 7 years of research and development. While guaranteeing the safety of our crew, it preserves air quality and will be part of our fight against global warming. It significantly improves the environmental footprint of carried goods,” Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, pointed out.

“We have taken a big step forward. We need to go further to build transport that is even more respectful of the environment.” unched a year ago, the LNG-powered boxship is the first in a series of nine 23,000 TEU newbuilds ordered by CMA CGM. It features a length of 400 meter, a width of 61 meters and can sail at a service speed of 22 knots.

All nine container vessels will be registered at the French International Register (FIR). They will bear the names of landmark Parisian monuments and other renowned venues and institutions from throughout the French capital — Champs Elysées, Palais Royal, Louvre, Rivoli, Montmartre, Concorde, Trocadéro, and Sorbonne.

The CMA CGM Jacques Saade will start its maiden voyage as of September 23rd on the French Asia Line (FAL), CMA CGM Group’s most emblematic line between Asia and Northern Europe.

Its rotation will lead it to the ports of Pusan in South Korea; Tianjin, Ningbo, Shanghai and Yantian, China; Singapore; Southampton, Dunkirk, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Algeciras in Europe; and Port Kelang in Malaysia. This line provides a weekly service comprising 13 calls over the course of 84 days.